Read This First
The Executive's Guide to New Media—from Blogs to Social Networks
by
Book Cover & Preview Text
Read This First is written for executives who want someone to explain this New Media/Social Media/Web 2.0 phenomenon in plain business English.
Chapter I: The Economic of Influence
Traditional corporate communications practices are built upon a historical premise: the power to influence the masses is held within a small group of people with the financial resources to own a printing press, radio station, or television station. Historically, companies have rented that influence through advertising, or convince publishers to write about them for free through public relations. That call changed with the introduction of new technologies that allowed anyone to own a printing press (blog), radio station (podcast), or television station (online video).
Chapter II: Listening is Free
New Media technologies are categorized three ways, through listening, talking, and participating. This chapter offers an executive level overview of the free listening tools that offer more efficient methods for monitoring what is being said about companies online.
Chapter III: Talking and Participating
This chapter covers the two other New Media technology-types: talking and participating. It explains why all companies should have a corporate blog, then explores the business value of tapping into the collaborative nature of social networks such as Facebook.
Chapter: IV Bambi's Got an AK-47
New Media technologies have lowered the publishing barrier-to-entry to a point where anyone with an opinion may distribute it to a worldwide audience. This chapter describes lessons that companies must consider in an age where the customer has the upper hand when it comes to public opinion.
Chapter V: Trust and Faith
Traditional marketing and advertising strategies are built upon strategies to interrupt people. Public Relations is about convincing reporters to write about their companies. All three require companies to deliver their messages through third parties. This chapter discusses two things:1) the ability to speak directly with customers through New Media channels and 2) the fundamental changes that marketers and PR professionals must make in order to be effective within them.
Chapter VI: The Traditional's Handbook
Creating New Media content requires different skills than those that typically reside within the marketing and PR departments. Mastering those skills requires something that humans usually resist...change. This chapter lists the most common excuses that employees will employ to champion the status quo.
Chapter VII: Business as a Publisher
Publishers are in the business of building audiences that they can sell to advertisers. As more people go online to seek solutions to their problems, businesses must learn how to attract them. This chapter teaches companies how to create compelling content that will attract qualified prospects to their content like bears to honey.
Chapter IX: Calgon, Take Me Away!
New Media is for companies large and small. This chapter contains a case study on how Ford Motor Company used social media to extinguisht a PR fire in less than 24 hours.
Chapter X: Measure, Analyze, Rinse, Repeat
New Media technologies are the most measurable technologies in the history of business communications. This chapter offers executives a step-by-step guide to measure the effectiveness of their New Media efforts through real world examples.
Chapter XI: Knit One, Purl Two
The first ten chapters build a foundation for the concepts that executives must understand before considering the use of New Media Technologies. This final chapter offers a step-by-step way to build a corporate Social Media strategy upon that foundation.
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About the Book
They're all looking to you ...
- Upper management wants a Social Media plan.
- PR wants permission to Twitter.
- Marketing wants to create a Facebook fan page.
- Customer Support wants to blog.
- Information Technology wants budget to support streaming video.
- And you want someone to explain this stuff in plain business language.
If you're struggling with your answers, then you need to Read This First!
What others are saying about the book:
"This book captures the perfect mix of humor, reality and no-nonsense examples that every executive can relate to. It made me cheer and laugh, all the while making me want to buy copies for all of my clients and potential clients."
- C.C. Chapman - Partner, The Advance Guard
"From shifting company culture and mindset to applying New Media tools and techniques, "Read This First" gives executives and managers the foundation they need to get started."
- Karen Bartleson, Senior Director of Community Marketing at Synopsys and Author of The Standards Game
"Ron Breaks down New Media in a clear, concise, high-level manner that is sure to "click" with business people everywhere."
- Corey James Scribner, BaconToday.com
"Social media is a new and constantly changing medium for businesses to learn... and I think it would help the uninitiated to read this book not just first but TWICE."
- Mike Kilroy Vice President, Maples Communications
"The challenge with social media is not how to use the tools - any recent college graduate or goateed under-employed social media consultant can do that. The problem is getting your corporate culture to change. "Read This First" talks about business results and the political challenges you will face as you do it."
- John Wall, Ronin Marketeer
"Finally, a New Media book written squarely for those in the C-Suites. With it's no-nonsense approach and vivid examples, "Read This First" is an important guidebook on New Media for executives."
- David Jacobs, Connected World Media, LLC
About the Author
Ron Ploof founded OC New Media, LLC to help executives understand the the business reasons to adopt New Media communications. Driven by his passion for technology, history, and storytelling, he aims to take the mystery out of new technologies, showing how they fit within the corporation and how they can be used to increase sales, lower marketing costs, and increase employee productivity.
Ron’s passion for helping companies find better ways to communicate with their customers combined with his 25 years of high-tech business experience brings a fresh perspective to an old topic. He’s one of the early podcasters, having produced an audio storytelling podcast since 2005. He’s the author of the popular RonAmok! blog (http://ronamok.com), and is an active member of the social media community.He's is a sought-after speaker, having presented before Fortune 50 companies, Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), Ragan Communications, MarketingProfs, Entrepreneur Magazine, Podcamp, Forensic Expert Witness Association, National Investor Relations Institute, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
You can follow him @ronploof on Twitter.